Retailers often allow customers to place orders on electronic channels, such as e-commerce websites and mobile devices. Electronic channels enable customers to maintain an electronic cart (shopping cart) where they can add and remove goods before placing an order. Customers usually use the website search engine to search for goods or browse a catalog online. Other shopping methods are based on promotions, loyalty incentives, seasonal offers, etc. To increase sales and improve the shopping experience, retailers recommend items that are most likely to be purchased.
Compared to non-grocery products, such as books or electronics, grocery products have recurring purchasing patterns. Two customers purchasing the same products will have different purchasing patterns, in respect to the purchased quantities and the time between purchases. Yet, existing recommendation techniques fail to consider such patterns that are specific to a consumer and specific to particular products or stores.